Table of contents for 25 October 2023 in MCN

TOP STORY These are the first official pictures of Yamaha's hugely anticipated sports version of their XSR900 heritage triple, the XSR900 GP. And if its looks – and colours – remind you of the factory Yamaha GP 500s ridden by the likes of Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey in the 1980s, then that's entirely deliberate. It's been built, say Yamaha, like all their XSR sport heritage machines, to pay tribute to some of their most evocative bikes by ‘blending nostalgic design with the very latest engine and chassis tech’. HIGHLIGHTS •Power: 115bhp @ 10,000rpm •Torque: 69lb.ft @ 7000rpm •Weight: 196kg (kerb, est) •Seat height: 820mm (est) •Price: £11,500 (est) In the GP's case, as its name suggests, that means referencing its multiple world championship winning GP 500s, particularly those of…

Despite smashing sales records, and announcing a roster of new motorcycles for 2024, BMW's Motorrad division have confirmed a series of key personnel changes. After 32 years at the firm, 60-yearold Markus Schramm will step into retirement and away from his role as Head of BMW Motorrad. He has held the position since 2018 and led the firm to sales of 202,895 in 2022. BMW's celebrated Head of Design, 65-year-old Edgar Heinrich, is also retiring. He joined the brand in 1985. Schramm will be succeeded on November 1 by Markus Flasch, who joined BMW in 2015 and was most recently appointed as Product Line Manager and before that Head of BMW's sporting M division. Heinrich, meanwhile, who was responsible for the design of all BMW two-wheelers, riding equipment, and accessories,…

THIS WEEK Following announcements from Honda and Suzuki earlier this month, Yamaha have confirmed that we'll see a range of electric, self-driving, and even hydrogen-powered concept machines at the upcoming Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. Six all-new Yamahas are set to receive their world premieres, among them a wacky three-wheeler electric car and an off-road buggy using a hydrogen engine derived from the R1 superbike. With only top line information currently available, the main interest for bikers will likely be Yamaha's four new two- (and three-) wheeled concept machines. These are: the E-FV, a sporty electric ‘fun’ bike; the ELOVE, an autonomous, self-riding electric scooter; the TMW, a hybrid, off-road, leaning three-wheeler and MOTOROiD2, a ‘robot bike’ which is an evolution of Yamaha's original 2017 MOTOROiD concept. All four follow…

Moto Morini are the latest brand to wade into the bustling mid-size cruiser scene, revealing a new 649cc Calibro sharing the same engine as the Chinese/Italian firm's current Seiemmezzo roadster range. Although UK pricing and availability are yet to be confirmed, with more details expected at next month's Eicma trade show in Milan, the Calibro is set to produce around 60bhp, and can be restricted to meet A2 licence requirements. With an accessible seat height of 720mm, the parallel-twin engine is located in a double steel cradle frame with conventional 41mm forks upfront and preload-adjustable twin shocks at the rear. These lead down to a pair of tubeless cast rims, wearing budget friendly Timsun tyres (which prospective owners might want to upgrade for better performance on rain-hit roads). ‘It will…

Until the launch of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR this year it looked like the days of smallcapacity, four-cylinder sportsbikes were in long gone – but now another rival has raised its head above the parapet in the form of CFMoto's entertaining-looking 500SR. Revealed as a nearproduction prototype, and likely to be given a full launch later this year, the 500SR is the culmination of a three-year project by CFMoto to develop a new multi-cylinder range. We've already shown you the larger three-cylinder 675SR (MCN, September 27) but the 500SR is even more impressive. At the moment, CFMoto have only shown a heavily disguised version, covered entirely in a plastic wrap, but like the 675SR it's clearly designed to fit with the company's current style with a front end and headlights…

Send your trips to yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Reader Richard Dempster The ride Northamptonshire to the southern-most tip of Africa When to do it March-June How many miles? 15,000 ish How long do you need? 3 months Tell us about the trip… My eldest daughter's partner is South African and three Christmases ago she said we should all fly out and do a safari together. I said as a joke that I could ride out and meet them… and the seed was sewn. I started to get maps together and get all the inoculations and began applying for visas. I tried to do the trip in 2022 but unfortunately my diaphragm ruptured while travelling and I needed two emergency ops in Spain. I knew that this had only postponed the trip so the…

COMPETITION PLUS 10 runner-up prizes of tickets to champions’ autograph session! It's the glitziest event in bike sport, the prestigious FIM Awards is coming to the UK for the very first time – and you could be there too! Set to be the biggest gathering of world champions this country has ever seen, 47 winners from across all disciplines – MotoGP and WSB, Trials, Enduro, MX, Speedway and more – will be presented with their crowns in an exclusive ceremony and black-tie gala dinner at Liverpool's ACC Arena on Saturday, December 2. MCN has a pair of money-can'tbuy tickets for one lucky reader and their guest to see the best riders in the world get presented with the title that they've battled all season to earn. This incredible prize will…

The RD350LC's little brother, the RD250LC, was just as significant – but also a victim of its own success. As a 250, the machine was compliant with the learner laws at the time, meaning you could ride it on L-plates. And, with 35bhp, when Suzuki's rival X7 had just 30, it was the fastest 250 available and the first 100mph learner bike. That simple fact ensured the 250LC's sales success… and also its demise not long after. A public outcry prompted a change in the learner law in October 1982 to 12bhp 125s making the pricey 250 (when the 350 was just £100 more) obsolete. But it was brilliant while it lasted……

Carbon neutrality is high on their agenda, but Kawasaki aren't about to give up their thrill-seeking past just to meet the green expectations of the future. The Ninja 7 (and recentlylaunched Z-E1) are a start point. Further pure electric bikes and hybrids will follow (we'd expect a Versys/Zed hybrid for a start in the coming years), but they're keen to point out they're working hard on emerging technologies that will please long-standing Kawasaki fans as well as ones that might attract new ones. Seiichi Kai, General Manager of Kawasaki Motorcycles, said: “The EV and hybrid models we have shown so far are just a small representation of the research and development that our designers and engineers are undertaking. “Our EV machines target short distances and local, urban commuting whereas hybrid…

THE TAIL ‘It's not just the Dragon’ Deals Gap is one for your bucket list, but there's so much more to this part of the USA. It's definitely worth creating a itinerary and exploring North Carolina and Virginia to take in routes such as the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, as well as simply exploring the beautiful and diverse landscapes. There are two ways get over there. The first is to ship your own bike out via a company such as Moto Freight. It costs about £1250, plus $245 airport fees (see www.motofreight.co.uk). Or fly to Washington DC and hire a bike. A Harley from Eaglerider is around $125 a day for a Sportster or $150 for a tourer, when booking five days or more (www.eaglerider.com). The Tail of…

12 months ON TEST Kovix KCL8 Alarmed Chain Lock £85 If you are after a reliable touring lock, you can't go far wrong with this. It's lightweight, 1.2m long and easy to use, once you get the hang of it. Plus there's extra peace of mind from the integral alarm. As there is a later version of the lock, you can get one of these for a good deal if you do a bit of shopping around, and as the battery life is lengthy (a claimed 8-10 months) you can keep it in your pannier or topbox for the summer riding season. Just bear in mind that the alarm isn't rechargeable so you'll have to change the battery instead. The chain is made from hardened steel and, while it's not…

Our man looks ahead to the WSB season finale at Jerez For the third time, the World Superbike title will be decided in Jerez as the curtain comes down on a memorable 2023 season. Whoever wins, it will celebrate a second WSB crown and, with Alvaro Bautista 60 points ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu with a maximum 62 available, the Spaniard would have to suffer tech issues or a bit of a crash fest to not come out of the weekend wearing the crown. 1 Team Red v Team Blue Ducati haven't celebrated successive Riders’ titles in WSB since Carl Fogarty in 1998 and 1999, the latter coming in the same week that The Venga Boys knocked Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5 off the UK number 1 singles spot; ‘Going to…

Brad Binder missed the podium in Australia – by less than half a second but it was a strong finish after misadventures at many recent races. Prangs and long-lap penalties have dented his campaign and he is now 42 points adrift, in fourth behind Bagnaia, Martin and Bezzecchi. With teammate Miller struggling to recover from a mid-season slump, Binder has for race after race proved that the KTM is the strongest challenger to Ducati domination. Just not quite strong enough to avoid having to push too hard. He's not given up hope though and his campaign was given a shot in the arm from Dani Pedrosa's blazing pair of wild-card fourths at Misano where he beat both factory and GasGas satellite team riders using the latest carbon-fibre chassis. According to…

2011 Second in 125cc World Championship, takes his first GP victory in Japan 2015 Moto2 World Champion thanks to eight wins, 14 podiums and record points haul of 352 2016 Becomes only rider to win two Moto2 World Championships, winning seven races 2017 Stuns MotoGP in debut year, leading first race in Qatar, taking three podiums, finishing sixth overall 2019 Sacked from KTM midseason due to listless attitude, has three rides for LCR Honda at end of year 2020 Handed lifeline by Ducati in its Avintia team on a GP19, finishes third in three races 2021 Competitive MotoGP season for Pramac on a GP21, finishes second four times, and in the title fight until September 2023 Takes first MotoGP win in 120th start…

WELCOME And just like that, British Summer Time is done. The clocks go back this weekend and if you're like me, you'll be wondering exactly where the past seven months have disappeared to – it's just gone by in a blink! There's no need to lament the passing of yet another summer because, although there's less daylight to play in, we all know that there's no such thing as a ‘riding season’ and there's still plenty of fun still to be had on two wheels in 2023. Need a bit of inspiration? Just turn to our fantastic Out and About section starting on page 22. There you'll find out why you need to pay a visit to the ‘bikers’ paradise’ that is the Manor Farm Cafe in the Yorkshire Dales…

THIS WEEK The police bike ridden by actor Matt Damon in the 2016 movie Jason Bourne is the latest exhibit at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu. Although purporting to be used by the Greek police then taken by Damon's character Bourne for an action-packed chase scene, it's actually a 2015 Husqvarna FE 450 modified with front blue police lights, rear police light stand, rear carrying case and pannier decorated with Greek police decals. In the film, Bourne rides the bike through an Athens riot after stealing it from a police officer then fights off pursuers before rescuing colleague Nicky Parsons (played by Julia Stiles). ‘It's actually a modded 2015 Husky FE 450’ Filming took place in Tenerife in 2015 for the Paul Greengrassdirected movie, which is so far the…

WHAT'S NEW IN TECH? High performing, efficient battery technology is one of the keys to the success of any large-scale revolution in the take up of electric motorcycles. It's not just in the chemistry of the cells themselves – the way they're packaged and cooled is equally important. To this end, immersion cooling is emerging as a favourite for future performance EVs including motorcycles, with both Norton and Arc coming forward in the last couple of months to say they're working on the technology, citing benefits in terms of charging times, weight and size compared to conventional designs. Keeping your cool Immersion-cooled batteries might be relatively new but the idea of immersion-cooled electronics has been around for several years, particularly when it comes to powerful computer servers. It revolves around…

Send your first bike pics to: yourpics@motorcyclenews.com Thought you might like this fun picture of me on my Honda when I was 19. I still have the Bell badge! Don Barrett I am resplendent in my full protective gear but I did have a helmet my mate gave me and some gloves! Ian Ransom Here is one of me and my Yamaha RD350 back in 1980. Love your newspaper every week. Robert Barton My first bike, 1990. At the time the fastest production motorcycle in the world! Michael Brown Thought I would share this one of my first bike from back in the day. Andy Colleran This B-reg Vespa was my first bike on the road. Chris Goff My first Japanese bike – one of the first 750 KOs into…

What's happening? National Motorcycle Museum LIVE returns this weekend, and everyone is invited. As well as free entry to the museum to get a glimpse of the best British motorcycles from throughout history, you'll also be able to hear them, too, as Steve Plater will be on hand to help with the live fire-ups throughout the two-day event. Plus, meet Henry Cole, Allen Millyard and James Hillier, and get top restoration tips from the experts. The essentials Running over Saturday and Sunday, free entry starts at 8.30am. Parking is free for bikes and £15 for cars. www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk for info.…

‘Stuff you'd never dream of now’ The Elsie is maybe best remembered for the one-make race series launched in 1981 to promote it – the Yamaha RD350LC ‘Pro-Am’. With standard bikes provided by Yamaha, a grid of established ‘Pro’ riders including Rob McElnea and Alan Carter and up-and-coming ‘Am’ amateurs like Niall Mackenzie plus coverage on ITV's World of Sport, fame (or infamy) was guaranteed. It delivered just that – and more. With big prizes up and little concern for damage, mayhem ensued. Identical bikes ensured ultra-close racing; fearless young riders (max age: 24) were happy to lay it on the line and crashes were commonplace. Racing didn't get more exciting. That first season brought a repeat in 1982 with the bikes now fitted with ‘Pro-Am’ accessory fairings and belly…

ESSENTIAL KIT THE MCN SHOWCASE SECURITY CRIME BUSTERS Keep your bike safe from thieves when it's parked up away from home ● Design, construction and security scores rated ● Every lock used in a range of real-world conditions 7 months ON TEST Environmentally friendly and security don't necessarily go hand in hand, yet Litelok fuse them together in much the same way as the ceramic composite armour they use to make the X1 Moto D-lock so tough. A ceramic composite is a material created from two or more elements with fundamentally different properties, giving a result that is greater than its parts. Litelok's own special sauce for this is a trademarked recipe called ‘Barronium’ (after founder and CEO Professor Neil Barron, no doubt) and has been specifically developed to offer high…

Oxford XA14 Alarmed Disc Lock £79.99 The XA14 is a portable, tough, Sold Secure ‘Motorcycle Powered Cycle Gold’ certified lock with a shouty 110dB alarm built in. Just compact enough to slide into a big jacket pocket, it is even better if you have room under the seat, in a tank-bag or rucksack. The main body is forged stainless steel and protects a sturdy 14mm locking pin. I've not yet found a bike that I can't fit it to, and after two years of all-weather use the lock still feels like new. It's bold in bright yellow – or more subtle if you take the black option. You get three sturdy keys; a reminder cord; and a USB lead to recharge the alarm battery – but no storage pouch. Quality…

Hoping to find the perfect blend of performance with road bike comfort European road trips and sunny Sunday rideouts are fun whatever you're riding – but they're extra special on a bike like the BMW M1000R. But what about the more mundane side of life? How does the M cope on a morning rush hour commute when it's raining and every third vehicle on the road is a combine harvester? The first few commutes of the summer were… brief. The novelty of that face-melting turn of pace meant that the temptation to unleash it onto hot, sticky and comparatively quiet roads proved too much. A gap big enough for a quick overtake on normal bikes is big enough to overtake three or four dawdling cars on the M if you…

Macau's most successful rider Michael Rutter will join the FHO Racing BMW squad in a three-man dream team to take on the Armcolined street circuit at the Chinese coastal port. Rutter, who has nine Macau wins to his name, will join Peter Hickman and Josh Brookes. The last time Rutter or Hickman raced at the circuit was back in 2019 before a three-year Covid hiatus. For BSB contender and road racing star, Brookes it will be his first visit to the 3.8-mile venue. Both Rutter and Hickman are clearly targeting race wins for the team. Fifty-one-year-old Rutter will be looking for win number 10, while Hickman, the world's fastest road racer, will be in search of win number four having won in 2015, ‘16 and ‘18. Macau rookie and two-time…

Rory Skinner couldn't hide his delight at scoring his first World Championship points on Sunday morning. The 22-year old avoided the carnage ahead in a cold, wet race which was eventually stopped because of dangerously high winds. With track temperatures a paltry 15 degrees, many struggled to get heat into their rear tyres, especially on the right side, as it is used less frequently than the left at Phillip Island's anti-clockwise layout. As a result ten riders crashed out, while championship leader Pedro Acosta crashed on the warm-up lap. Comparing the conditions to “East Fortune and Knockhill – like a mix of tracks I grew up racing on,” Skinner said. “I can't put in to words just how happy I am. P12 and points feel like a win! It's a…

Paddock veteran delivers his verdict on Aussie round Pecco Bagnaia may have come away with the upper hand from a captivating Phillip Island round but the title fight between Ducati's heavyweight contenders remains super-tight. And while it was Bagnaia celebrating on the podium, things could have swung the other way in what is turning into a case of brains v brawn. Strategy v speed. For the moment Martin is the fastest man on a Ducati but he fumbled his plan to dominate the Australian GP with a bold but disastrous soft rear tyre gamble. Spaniard Martin is an instinctive racer with an explosive turn of pace, little wonder six-time champion Marc Marquez is still backing him for the title. But while that audacious tyre choice made the GP a race…

A humbling eleventh place in the Australian GP for Maverick Viñales highlighted the puzzling roller coaster performance of the 2023 Aprilia RS-GP Viñales is a Phillip Island specialist with multiple podiums including a 2018 victory with Yamaha but he was surprised the fast layout did not extract more from the RS-GP and a chance to repeat his Mandalika podium. Figuring out a solution for consistent drive grip issues is now a key priority. “It's not an electronics problem,” he said. “We lack mechanical grip, we must continue to work hard to investigate the causes and benefit next season.” ‘It is something that we must investigate’ The mystery deepened when Viñales was fastest in the wet Sunday morning warm-up (13 degree track temperature) prior to the Sprint race being cancelled. Viñales…

THIS WEEK MCN has ten pairs of tickets to next month's Motorcycle Live to give away. Running from November 18-26, it's the UK's biggest bike show, and the first opportunity to see many of the new-for-2024 bikes (and even ride some), as well as hunt down a bargain. Head to motorcyclenews.com/news/motorcycle-live and fill in your details for your chance to win. Grab a mint 916 A 1997-registered Ducati 916 Strada with just 185 miles on the clock is the star of tomorrow's (October 26) Charterhouse auction. The bIke was originally sold in the USA, and for reasons unknown hasn't even covered enough miles to run the engine in, though it appears to have been treated to an upgraded Öhlins rear shock despite the minimal use and excellent state of preservation.…

Ducati's new Multistrada V4 RS comes with a 180bhp desmodromic-valve engine to make it the firm's most hardcore adventure bike yet. Other Multistrada V4 models use the ‘V4 Granturismo’ engine, with 170bhp of road-focused power and conventional cams/sprung valves. But the new £31,995 machine is the only model to use the Desmosedici Stradale from the Panigale/ Streetfighter, retuned from full 215bhp superbike-spec to 180bhp, with changes to give ‘a fluid and regular power curve at low revs’. If you aren't fluent in marketing puff, that's likely to mean an enhancement to sub-8000rpm drive, where you're likely to find yourself more often than a Panigale rider chasing the 15,000rpm redline. The Multi RS's redline is also pegged back to 13,500rpm – likely the main method of chopping 25bhp from the headline…

BEATING BIKE CRIME SAVE OUT BIKES! An Italian tourist has been reunited with his stolen BMW thanks to a joint effort by Warwickshire Police, Tracker Network UK and LoJack Italia. The £15,000 bike was stolen from outside a West Midlands hotel during an overnight stop on a UK tour. The owner had fitted a tracker that was registered with Italian firm, LoJack, who alerted sister company Tracker Network UK. The bike was tracked to one of two containers at a self-storage facility near Coventry airport and Warwickshire Police were called. Once the containers were opened, a miniature chop shop was discovered with two more previously stolen motorbikes found along with evidence of other machines that had already been stripped for parts. “Having a vehicle stolen is always stressful,” said Clive…

Rothewald Tool Set £86.70 Keep your bike ready for action With the weather on the turn and days getting shorter, it's a good time to think about kitting out your shed for winter maintenance. We've been having a good nose around the net for items that we think could prove essential in keeping your bike in tiptop shape and ready for action. The spanners in OE underseat toolkits are rarely better than foil covered chocolate, so having a decent set at your disposal is a must for any budding home mechanic or amateur engineer. This 92-piece set from German firm Rothewald covers the basics for most general servicing jobs and comes in a tough plastic case for easy storage. Included is a set of metric combination wrenches for 6-19mm, long…

A mass gathering of British motorcycle world champions from across the ages will be one of the highlights of Motorcycle Live. Racers including World Superbike kings Jonathan Rea and Carl Fogarty, trials star Dougie Lampkin and motocrossers Dave Thorpe and Jamie Dobb will appear together with a host of other biking champs. It's part of what's being called the ‘FIM UK World Champion's Day’ on the Black Horse Stage on Saturday, November 25, as Britain gets ready to host the prestigious FIM Awards this December (see p28). Celebrations will commence at 11am introduced by James Whitham along with FIM Awards Master of Ceremonies James Toseland. First up will be six-time WSB champion Rea and four-time champ Fogarty. Enduro aces David Knight, Paul Edmondson and Jane Daniels follow at 12.30pm with…

JUST BREW IT Ride out to Britain's best biking cafés THE DETAILS • Tues-Sat 9am-4pm, Sun 10am-4pm, in winter shuts at 2pm • Facebook: bellerbybiker • Manor Farm, Bellerby DL8 5QH If you've ever ridden through the Yorkshire Dales, you'll know just how good the roads are – and that's precisely why Rachel Price opened a biker-friendly café just on the outskirts in Bellerby. “We're on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales,” she says. “We're on the edge of possibly the best biking roads in the country. “I've always liked and enjoyed bikes – I have two of my own – and the pub trade became a bit too much for me. We've now been here for five years, and I built it back up from what it was. It's…

HONDA CRF300 RALLY VOGE RALLY 300…

Hybrid technology is wellestablished on four wheels, having gone from laughing stock for virtue-signallers only, to private hire and city drivers’ favourite. Hybrid cars cost around the same as combustiononly equivalents, but combine EV economy and ease-of-use with a petrol engine to make high-speed driving realistic, without range anxiety or the hassle of waiting for a battery to recharge. Kawasaki's Ninja 7 HEV aims to translate that success to bikes, as an effective first in the motorcycle world. Piaggio's flirtation with hybrids in 2009/2010 with 125 and 300cc electrically assisted variants of the MP3 fell flat, as they were expensive, the battery ate up the underseat storage, and the marginal power of the electric motor coupled with the colossal weight meant EV mode was near-useless. Kawasaki's new power unit is…

When you think of classic American motorcycle roads, Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway spring to mind. But there is another must-ride route, more famed for the challenge it presents than any historical importance or scenery: the Tail of the Dragon. Otherwise known as US129 or the Deals Gap road, this mountain pass runs along the North Carolina/ Tennessee state line and is bordered by the Great Smokey Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest. The road started as a track used only by animals and hunters. In the late 1700s Deals Trading Post was established by a family of that name, who did business with Cherokee and other friendly tribes, and it is because of them that the road is now known as Deals Gap. Legend says that in…

Abus Granit CityChain XPlus 1060 £180 Heading off to go two-up touring in Europe in 2015, I wanted the reassurance of a decent lock and chain, without it adding too much weight or taking up too much room in my luggage. Abus Granit chains have a solid reputation for providing top-quality security, and the CityChain XPlus weighs in at 2.1kg. With the highest security level (it is Sold Secure Gold but in the pedal cycle class), hardened steel lock body and XPlus anti-tamper barrel, I feel confident the 10mm hexagonal chain will withstand most attacks. A hard-wearing textile sleeve prevents the heavy-duty chain from damaging paint. 8 years ON TEST Although I do feel its weight, the CityChain is small enough to carry and after eight years of use, barring…

Road, off-road and adventure rider I'm not a big fan of riding with a pillion but I do make the exception when it comes to my own daughters. One of the main reasons is their enthusiasm. I don't take them on the back often so when I do, they genuinely seem to love it and it also scores me ‘cool dad’ points which aren't always easy to come by given that they're teenagers! Quite often it's only for a short ride, but there have been a few exceptions. The most recent of which was a 150-mile trip from deepest Dorset to Hertfordshire. With time on our hands we didn't have to sit on the motorway, instead weaving across the counties on a mixture of B-roads and fast A-roads. The big…

An opening 10-lap cameo by Honda's departing superstar Marc Marquez showed the gaping hole the six-time MotoGP champion will leave when he joins the Gresini Ducati squad next season. And just why is Marquez still racing so hard on the uncompetitive Honda RC213V? “My mentality is to keep the intensity. People say ‘just cruise’ but I don't want to do that. If I relax for the next four races then jump to another bike I could lose the intensity, I want to be ready,” the Spanish superstar explained. ‘People tell me to cruise but I don't want to’ An Island win wasn't on the cards so Marquez took the soft rear tyre to energise his early laps racing Pecco Bagnaia, Johann Zarco and Jack Miller. Unsurprisingly he slumped to 15th…

There were mixed emotions for Ayumu Sasaki on Sunday. On the one hand, he lost the lead on the final lap for the fifth time in 2023, blowing the chance to win his first Moto3 race of the season, as Deniz Oncu prevailed. But the Japanese rider still gained big points on leader Jaume Masia, who could only manage eighth, meaning just four points separate the top two “I knew Deniz would try. I spent two years as his teammate so I know what he's like,” explained Sasaki.…

The trouble with the Yamaha, according to test rider Cal Crutchlow, is not too little power, but too much. Whilst the M1 doesn't quite have the oomph to challenge the class-leading V4s on acceleration and speed, there's just enough to upset its legendary good balance, leaving it robbed of its strength. The dismal performance from Fabio Quartararo and teammate Franco Morbidelli at Phillip Island seems to bear out the theory. Rhythm, smoothness and high corner speed should pay dividends at this track of fast, flowing corners and little hard braking and acceleration. Alex Rins proved the point last year, on board the out-gunned but elegantly well-balanced Suzuki (also an inline four like the Yamaha), beating six faster V4s to the flag. This year Yamaha's top rider Quartararo managed seventh in…

Reporting direct from the weather-hit Australian round TOP STORY How fitting that Johann Zarco had to wait 26 laps and three corners out of 27 to seal the deal. After all, the Frenchman had become accustomed to biding his time, enduring close to seven winless seasons in the premier class. But on Saturday he broke his MotoGP duck in the most thrilling fashion, during yet another Phillip Island classic. Even the double World Champion had feared a first win since his victorious Moto2 send-off in November, 2016 – 2533 days earlier – would never come as he finished runner up an agonizing 11 times – a record number for a rider without ever taking MotoGP victory. But here Zarco was the smartest of the lot as he first used Bagnaia…